Premium
The Leicester Case
Author(s) -
Cordner Stephen M.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1982.tb132321.x
Subject(s) - verdict , jury , liability , law , psychology , criminology , political science , medicine
In a recent English trial, a consultant paediatrician, charged with the murder of a three‐day‐old infant with Down's syndrome, was found not guilty of attempted murder. This paper discusses the consequences of the verdict, showing that it cannot be interpreted as lessening the medical practitioner's strict legal liability for murder or manslaughter in these circumstances. Factors acting vitally in the accused's favour vis‐a‐vis the jury are noted.